1 year kidney transplant anniversary at Mayo!

Ben and I are at Mayo this week for my 1 year kidney transplant anniversary! It has been an amazing year and hard to sum up in one blog post. The biopsy is over, and all of the other major testing this week, Ben, our families and friends have been super supportive throughout.

Everything looks great so far. I have one more of my biweekly infusion tomorrow, and hopefully that will be my last. The eculizmab study has been very successful and traveling from Alaska to Mayo every other week this year has been worth it!

Ben also did a charity photo auction and sold out all of his prints so we could present Gift of Life Transplant house with a check for $800.00 today and they were so grateful. The check in is Trevor (my donor) and my honor. Of course the transplant would not be a success with out Trevor. So I have posted a few pics from this past year.

Trevor and I about 2 months after the kidney transplant - dubbed "the big hairy man kidney".

Trevor and I the day after surgery trying to get up and walk around.

In this past year I have accomplished so much with my transplant. I have been on too many incredible Alaskan trips to name them all. My Fairbanks friends have been my home away from home. In addition to backpacking, packrafting and cabin ski trips, I have just completed my first 50 K skate ski race. Thanks to Trevor, whose generosity is amazing. Since the transplant he has moved to Washington DC to do foreign disaster aid and has been to Sri Lanka, Darfur and Haiti (he is still there).

Part of Mayo Clinic from the largest building, 19th floor of the Gonda.

The doctors and care have been unmatched here, especially Dr. Gloor, Dr. Stegall, Cindy and the rest of the kidney transplant staff we worked with.

Litte Su 50K and the 100 mile Susitna race

We drove 5 hours south down to the Susitna 100 mile ski, bike or run race on remote Alaska rivers and lakes. I did the sister race the Little Su 50k (32 miles) by skate skiing. We started 2 hours after the "big" race and went on a similar trail out near Flat Horn lake check point and turned around for the 50 K. We skied back on the same course as the 100 mile race's last leg. I had a great day and all of the long cabin trip skis getting by butt kicked my really fast friends paid off. I ended up 6th for in the women ski division in 6.5hrs. I then supported the 100mile race and waited for Robin, Kevin, Lisa and Chris to finish.
It was my first 50k ski race so I took along my camera and snaps a few shots when I was getting out a GU to eat. There was miles of brushy narrow trails and a few steep short climbs, but this part of the race was flat making for a beautiful day with temps in the 30'sF.

Robin and Lisa just minutes before the start of the 100mile race.

Robin, Lisa and Kevin at the start line. Kevin (2nd) was the first to finish of our crew and I totally missed it while in the general store.

Robin finished in just over 15 hours around 1:30am for a 100 mile ski. She was the 1st women in and 6th overall in the race.

Lisa(3rd) and Chris(6th) finished strong later that morning. This race is really impressive and I don't think I could do it. In addition they carry mandatory packs with a -20F sleeping bag and bivy. All three of them are doing the Whitemountains100.org race in a few weeks and I will be at the Windy Gap checkpoint for that race.

Fairbanks weekend

After skiing the Whites on our cabin trip, we skijored with Ted at Creamer's field. Here is Julie with Ty and me with Sky. It was great to have Julie up for the weekend, she is always up for anything on skis! She skied again at Birch Hill later in the day. Nothing like packing it in on the weekend.
We had dinner and Kristen and Ned's. Anna is the newest photographer. Here is one of her best shots of the night. "Daddy".

She also liked the Mushers in the Yukon Quest, of course we are following the sled dog race online. www.yukonquest.com

Ben and Anna.

Lee's Cabin

We had girls trip to Lee's cabin this weekend and great visit with Julie.
Julie relaxing with Sky in the morning before she headed out on an additional 18mile ski.

Dinner at Lee's and Ann showed us how to do a Tim Tam(cookie) shot with what was supposed to be hot tea, but used Brandy. My only group shot, Kristen, me, Ann, Julie and Lisa.

Julie skiing towards Moose Creek cabin. We all skated the route because it was 15 degrees above zero! We love the heat wave's in February.

Stiles Creek Cabin

Another great cabin trip this weekend into Stiles Creek Cabin. Ed and Kristen ready to ski back to the car. Kristen pulled Anna the Chariot on skis. It was a warm ski at -5F to 5F on the ridge.

The Rozell's eating breakfast. We had a great sunny day to ski out of Stiles.

The cabin is a 7 mile climb and then 1 mile descent down to the cabin. So in the morning we hooked sky up to Kristen to Anna in the chariot to pull on the uphill portion.

Anna, Sky and I enjoying some Sin Dawg Cinnamon bread. We had fun during story and nap time, but I think Pella was still her favorite. (Pella likes Anna too and on the way out we had two cars, so Pella curled up in the kiddie car seat in my car all the way home).

Anna is already a veteran cabin tripper. She was a tropper in the chariot while we were skiing down the the steep hills.